Shakur Stevenson is paving his option to stardom — at 135 kilos

Shakur Stevenson returns to his native Newark, New Jersey, squarely on the precipice of pound-for-pound greatness, if not stardom. At 25, Stevenson owns an Olympic silver medal together with titles in two weight lessons.

Till Thursday, when he failed to make weight, Stevenson was a unified champion at 130 kilos. He was stripped of these titles after he weighed 131.6 kilos. The battle will proceed — Conceicao is eligible to win the WBC and WBO belts — after Stevenson and Conceiao reached an settlement on a monetary penalty, sources mentioned.

Stevenson and Conceicao, an Olympic gold medalist, will meet Friday in the primary occasion (10 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN+) in what Shakur insists can be his ultimate battle earlier than he campaigns at 135 kilos, a weight division that ought to, in the end, show simply how nice Stevenson can change into.

“I gave it my all,” tweeted Stevenson, ESPN’s No. 9 pound-for-pound boxer. “I have been skilled my complete profession and made weight, however my physique simply cannot make 130 anymore. My well being has to return first. I am transferring as much as 135 in my subsequent battle.”

Actually, the lack of Stevenson’s titles will not affect him negatively, although if it occurs once more at 135 kilos, that is one other story. For now, Stevenson’s incapability to tip the scales on the 130-pound restrict will merely hasten his entry into the really significant fights that may take a look at him like by no means earlier than.

At each 126 and 130 kilos, Stevenson has feasted on opponents far beneath his degree. Each weight lessons have lacked depth and elite boxers whereas Stevenson competed within the divisions. At 135 kilos, he’ll must deal with not simply greater opponents, however way more expert boxers, too.

Stevenson is a 30-1 favourite to defeat Conceicao and stay undefeated, in response to Caesars Sportsbook. The intrigue for Stevenson lies at light-weight, the place Devin Haney is the undisputed champion, and star boxers Vasiliy Lomachenko, Gervonta Davis and Ryan Garcia (typically) marketing campaign.

Stevenson has an opportunity to change into essentially the most proficient boxer on the planet – between his elite protection, shot placement and talent to guage distance – however he will not have the ability to really show it till he climbs 5 kilos to light-weight and faces the perfect fighters in that division.

“I believe three years down the road, as I preserve dominating and preserve doing what I am planning on doing, that I find yourself stepping up on that record,” Stevenson instructed ESPN on Wednesday. “I do know Terence [Crawford] and Canelo [Alvarez] is on the finish of their profession. So, I simply see myself as being that one which comes proper behind them and taking on that No. 1 spot.”

How about Shakur testing his defensive prowess towards power-punching southpaw “Tank” Davis? Or a battle with Garcia, an ultra-quick-handed fighter with a large social media following, that would launch him to superstardom? And whereas these bouts might show troublesome to finalize as a result of more and more fractured nature of the game, Stevenson ought to push for them to occur.

Fights with Haney and Lomachenko ought to show far simpler to make. Stevenson, like them, is promoted by High Rank.

“I believe all of them huge fights,” Stevenson mentioned. “I believe they’re all good [fighters], however you gotta give credit score to Devin Haney. … Gotta respect the true belts. … I am a fighter. If I’ll any weight class, I am not attempting to be the intercontinental champion or [reign in] any of them organizations [where] they acquired the smaller belts and all people declare that they’re champions.

“I am attempting to be the undisputed champ, how Devin is. I am attempting to be an actual champion. So that you gotta give respect to Devin Haney in relation to that. So I say he’s the man.“

Haney defends the undisputed championship towards George Kambosos Jr. in an Oct. 15 rematch on ESPN. Assuming he wins a second time, as anticipated, Haney might head right into a high-stakes battle with Lomachenko within the spring. And whereas that would go away Stevenson ready within the wings, it is also a superb alternative for him to get snug at 135 kilos with a neater battle in his light-weight debut within the first half of the yr.

For now, Stevenson will look to construct his profile in what was slated to be his homecoming battle as a champion. After an abbreviated title run at 126 kilos, Stevenson scored a Tenth-round TKO of Jamel Herring in October 2021 to seize a 130-pound title and added a second belt in April with a rout of Oscar Valdez in a powerful efficiency.

Stevenson wasn’t in a position to end Valdez off inside the gap, however he did drop the Mexican in Spherical 6 and misplaced simply two rounds on two scorecards.

“Valdez gave me a number of alternative to showcase my abilities,” Stevenson mentioned. “I believe with this dude [Conceicao], he is gonna be attempting to take a seat again and field. … However I am gonna present the world my canine.”

Certainly, Conceicao, whose solely defeat was a controversial resolution towards Valdez, prefers to counter-punch whereas Valdez likes to use stress and battle on the within. That simply means Stevenson must come ahead himself and make the battle if he needs to maintain his momentum towards the highest of the pound-for-pound record.

Conceicao has plans of his personal, after all, and for the second time in as many title fights, can be at a aggressive drawback. His September 2021 bout title problem of Valdez was allowed to proceed regardless of the presence of a banned substance within the titleholder’s system.

“I am very motivated. I’ve educated all my life for this second,” Conceicao mentioned throughout a information convention on Wednesday. “The world was in a position to see that I used to be higher than Oscar Valdez. I ought to have gained. … I am a champion with out a crown, and I am prepared for Friday night time.”

Positive, Stevenson has the talents, along with his exact jab, glorious footwork and ring smarts, to easily outbox Conceicao, a 33-year-old Brazilian. But when Stevenson needs to make the form of assertion that may have followers buzzing forward of what figures to be a pivotal 2023, he should entertain, too.